Clonality Status Of Focal Nodular Hyperplasia Of The Liver

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign lesion of the liver. It is generally regarded as a hyperplastic response to an abnormal blood supply, rather than a neoplastic process. Hower, its nature and pathogenesis are still controversial. While there have been some data, from sme rare reports, indicating an association between FNH and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), most authors do not agree with the proposed pathogenetic link between them. The central stellate scar is considered one of the most important feature for classical FNH. It is abscent, however, in about half of the lesions. For such lesions, the distinction from hepatocellular adenoma (HA) is often difficult. Monoclonality is one of the main biological features of most tumors. Some authors reported that FNH was polyclonal in cell composition, indicating a nonneoplastic nature, but monoclanality was also observed in some of the lesions.To elucidate the nature of FNH, we combined microdissection and the clonality assays based on X-chromosomal inactivation mosiacism and polymorphism in female somatic cells at phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and androgen receptor (AR) loci. The clonality status of the whole lesion of FNH...